#SpringCrush INTERVIEW: DJ Juicy M

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]It’s only a few more days to go until Cape Town’s hottest pre-summer party, Spring Crush, hits Shimmy Beach Club.

Mary Honeychild, from IDM Mag, caught up with Juicy M before her South African tour to find out more about her and what she’s looking forward to while she is here.

As a dance music fan and DJ, how does electro and progressive house speak to you?Juicy M: First of all it’s all about energy. No matter how I feel before my show when I up to the stage EDM gives me so much power and passion that I literally forget about everything! I also love how EDM unites people, no matter where are you from, your religion or skin colour – we are all one, and this is the general idea behind electronic dance music.

You’ve opened up for some high profile acts in the music industry (The Black Eyed Peas, Afrojack, Jay Sean, Skrillex, The Backstreet Boys and more). How did these opportunities come about for you?Juicy M: It’s a good opportunity to see how big names perform, to feel their confidence on the stage. I learned a lot from them and very thankful for that chance. But I never dreamt about being an opening act. I always wanted to light my own star.

What made you decide to mix with four CDJ players without using headphones?Juicy M: To be honest there wasn’t any specific plan about headphones, I always mix without headphones when I’m training at home and always use headphones when I’m spinning at parties. So I would say it’s just a happy coincidence that I made this video at home because the initial idea was to show my mixing skills.

You’ve been a resident DJ at a few night clubs in Ukraine. What should the world know about the Ukrainian dance music and party scene?Juicy M: Well, like in many other areas, the Ukrainian dance scene is still developing. Up until now many live in old school era of trance and drum & bass music, new era EDM fans are still too young to go to the clubs, so it needs two to four years for them to grow up to the level of Poland, who is next to us.

Previously you’ve worked for a music TV channel and studied journalism, so you more or less did what I’m doing now for a living. What did you find most interesting about being a TV host and perhaps the most annoying?Juicy M: I worked there while I was a student studying journalism and I really liked it at first, but I quickly understood that it’s nearly impossible to be independent and successful, at least at that time. And music is something that gave me that freedom.

You are coming to Cape Town to play at the Shimmy Beach Club, what can everyone be looking forward from your set?Juicy M: I’m going to play a lot of my new stuff, as I spend a lot of time in studio now. I’ve been to South Africa many times and you guys are such an amazing crowd to play for, I’m super excited!

What do you have planned for your label JUMMP Records for the rest of the year and in 2016? Juicy M: I just signed a label deal with Armada Music and we’re opening a new label called Top Flite Records – the new home for Juicy M records and more vocal tracks. JUMMP Records will continue to work after April 2016 and I will aim to create more bouncy stuff.